ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – With the 2021-2022 school year officially underway, authorities want to make sure parents are informed about various apps their kids may be using online.
Some apps on your child’s smartphone can be magnets for those with bad intentions.
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This is particularly true of dating and messaging apps, where bullies and predators are known to operate in the shadows. That’s why the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents about 18 popular apps they may not know about.
Below you’ll find a diagram explaining each of the apps and why your children may be vulnerable:
Attorney General Ashley Moody also shared helpful tools and resources for parents to keep students safe online.
“As a parent, I worry about the amount of time children spend online and with whom they might be communicating,” Attorney General Ashley Moody said. “With kids back in school, we want to make sure they stay safe—especially with parents not around to monitor online activity. Parental controls are a great way to enhance a child’s online safety and can be easily activated using your mobile phone. Parental controls can be extremely useful tools for those looking to protect children online.”
Tips to safeguard children’s online activity include:
- Limit search engines to keep results age-appropriate
- Manage screen time on certain apps, or the device as a whole
- Place approval requirements when downloading apps so that a parent can choose whether or not to approve the download
- Monitor what a child is viewing on social media or through other platforms
- Know all user accounts and passwords your child has
Most devices have parental control guides and walk-through videos providing step-by-step instructions on how to set up the features with ease.
To find out more, click here.